Not only have the Toronto Blue Jays lost Dustin McGowan for the season to shoulder troubles, last week they demoted struggling starter Jesse Litsch to Triple-A Syracuse. Pitching prospect David Purcey is getting an extended look in the rotation, and others in the high minors may be called on if the Jays decide to trade right-hander A.J. Burnett before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Scouts from numerous teams have been in the ballpark when Burnett pitches for the Jays. Among the teams reportedly interested in acquiring the 31-year-old veteran are the Yankees, Phillies and Cardinals. The Phillies have added Joe Blanton, and the story goes that the Jays won’t trade Burnett within the division. The demand for Burnett’s services may be less than anticipated, even with CC Sabathia and Rich Harden already off the market.

Yet, recent history suggests that Burnett is the kind of guy who could give a contender a boost down the stretch. The oft-injured right-hander has missed a lot of time during the first half of recent seasons, but he’s been impressive in August and September the last two summers.

In the final two months of 2006 and 2007 combined, Burnett went 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA. That’s markedly better than his 6-9 (4.31) record before the All-Star break those two years.

The Jays haven’t received their money’s worth from Burnett in his three seasons with the club, but selling his August-September performance to a prospective trade partner could provide some payoff before Thursday’s deadline. It’s less certain that the Jays could get Burnett through waivers in August and September, so now is the time to get a deal done.